1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid control device which opens and closes a flow passage, and specifically, to a fluid cutoff device which is removably disposed in the middle of piping separately from a flow measuring unit such as a gas meter.
2. Related Art
To prevent gas accidents, a variety of safety equipment is conventionally used. Such safety equipment composes a gas leak detector interlocking cutoff system including a gas leak detector and a gas cutoff valve driving device. On the other hand, there is such a cutoff system in which a gas meter and a gas cutoff device are configured separately from each other. As shown in FIG. 11, a gas leak detecting alarm 31 and a cutoff valve driving device 32 are electrically connected via a controller 33, and when the alarm 31 detects a gas leak, after it continuously outputs an alarm for a predetermined time or more, the gas flow passage is automatically closed and the gas supply is stopped to prevent further gas leaks.
The controller 33 maintains safety by preventing further gas leak by closing the cutoff valve driving device 32 in response to gas leaks detection by the alarm 31 (for example, refer to JP S60-157696A).
In recent years, to pursue safety, a gas meter including a flow detector and a gas cutoff device integrated with each other has become mainstream, and for example, the gas meter includes a cutoff judging means for judging whether an abnormality occurs based on signals from the flow detector and an external sensor means, a cutoff means for cutting-off gas supply when an abnormality occurs, a return means for automatically returning the cutoff means based on a signal from the external sensor means, and a leak judging means for judging whether the gas is flowing immediately after the return, and even after the gas is cutoff due to occurrence of an abnormality, automatic return can be made with ease (for example, refer to JP H09-152901A).
However, in recent years, gas use conditions have become complicated, and when the former configuration (configuration in which a gas meter and a gas cutoff device are separated from each other) and the latter configuration (configuration in which a gas meter and a gas cutoff device are integrated together) are combined and used, for example, to make an existing system adapted to a pre-paid system in which a fee is pre-paid before using the gas, a system in which a gas cutoff valve driving device is provided separately from an existing flow measuring unit which measures an amount of gas usage flow is considered so that, for example, a gas cutoff valve driving device is attached separately to an existing system of the latter configuration as in the case of the former configuration. In this case, when a gas meter as a flow measuring unit which measures an amount of gas usage measures a predetermined amount of gas usage, the gas supply is stopped by closing the gas flow passage by the gas cutoff device, however, the gas cutoff device may be removed from the piping and the gas meter is used intentionally, and there is concern that unauthorized use of gas cannot be prevented and safety in gas use cannot be secured.
The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to increase safety while preventing unauthorized use by notifying an external device of removal of the gas cutoff device from the piping via a communicating portion.
To solve the above-described conventional problems, a first aspect of the invention provides a fluid cutoff device which is provided separately from a flow measuring unit which measures a flow, including: an inlet connector and an outlet connector removably connectable to a piping; a fluid passage from the inlet connector to the outlet connector; a valve seat which forms a shutoff portion in the fluid passage; a valve body which is disposed inside the fluid passage and which opens and closes the valve seat; a cutoff valve driving device which electrically drives the valve body and has a conducting portion disposed outside the fluid passage; a communicating portion for radio communications; a controller which receives a remote cutoff/return command from an external device via the communicating portion and makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving; and a battery which supplies electric power to the controller, the communicating portion, and the cutoff valve driving device via the controller, wherein when the controller receives the remote cutoff/return command, it makes bidirectional communications to make the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving, and to output a response signal to the external device via the communicating portion.
A second aspect of the invention provides a fluid cutoff device which is provided separately from a flow measuring unit which measures a flow, including: an inlet connector and an outlet connector removably connectable to a piping; a fluid passage from the inlet connector to the outlet connector; a valve seat which forms a shutoff portion in the fluid passage; a valve body which is disposed inside the fluid passage and which opens and closes the valve seat; a cutoff valve driving device which electrically drives the valve body and has a conducting portion disposed outside the fluid passage; a communicating portion for radio communications; a controller which receives a remote cutoff/return command via the communicating portion from an external device and makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving; and a battery which supplies electric power to the controller, the communicating portion, and the cutoff valve driving device via the controller, and by further including: a converter for converting information of the flow measuring unit into a signal which the controller handles; and a transmitter for transmitting the signal of the converter to the controller, the controller outputs information of the flow measuring unit to the external device via the communicating portion.
A third aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device wherein, specifically, the converter of the second aspect of the invention converts an amount of fluid usage measured by the flow measuring unit into a signal which the controller handles, and the controller outputs the used flow measured by the flow measuring unit to the external device via the communicating portion.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device wherein, specifically, when the controller of the second aspect of the invention receives a remote cutoff/return command from the external device via the communicating portion, the controller makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving, and makes bidirectional communications so as to output a response signal to the external device via the communicating portion.
The fluid cutoff device of the present invention is provided separately from the flow measuring unit which measures the used flow and removably connected to a piping, so that an existing flow measuring unit such as a gas meter can be additionally provided with a collecting function for collecting an amount of fluid usage measured by the flow measuring unit by a remote operation and a gas cutting-off management function for cutting-off and return, etc.
The communicating portion makes bidirectional communications, and when the controller receives a remote cutoff/return command from the outside via the communicating portion, the controller makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving, and outputs a command receiving/execution response to the external device via the communicating portion, so that execution of an opening/closing operation of the cutoff valve driving device can be reliably confirmed by the external device, and therefore, reliability and safety increase.
Further, in a closed state of the cutoff valve driving device, when the flow is measured by the flow measuring unit provided separately, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be judged, and unauthorized use can be detected.
In addition, the used flow measured by the existing flow measuring unit can be retrieved from the flow measuring unit, so that according to the state of the used flow, by performing cutting-off and return remotely from the external device, functional improvements can be realized by the synergy between safety improvement and prevention of unauthorized use by remote operations by the flow measuring unit and the fluid cutoff device.
Further, when the connecting state of the transmitter which links the converter disposed in the flow measuring unit and the controller is investigated and it is disconnected, or when an amount of fluid usage measured by the flow measuring unit can be retrieved while the cutoff valve driving device is in a closed state, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be judged, so that unauthorized use can be detected.
A fifth aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device, wherein, specifically, in a path from the inlet connector to the outlet connector of the first through fourth aspects of the invention, a piping disconnection detector for detecting connecting states of the inlet connector and the outlet connector is disposed, and when the piping disconnection detector detects disconnection from the piping at the inlet connector and the outlet connector, the controller outputs an abnormality call request or an inquiry response for notifying the disconnection to the external device via the communicating portion.
When the piping disconnection detector detects disconnection from the piping at the inlet connector and the outlet connector, the controller outputs an abnormality call request or an inquiry response notifying the disconnection to the external device via the communicating portion, so that use with the fluid cutoff device removed is detected, and safety can be increased while unauthorized use is prevented.
When the flow is measured by the separately provided flow measuring unit while the cutoff valve driving device is in a closed state, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be judged, however, when the flow cannot be measured by the separately provided flow measuring unit, for example, even if the separately provided flow measuring unit is removed at the same time, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be reliably detected by the piping disconnection detector.
A sixth aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device, wherein, specifically, a pressure detector is disposed in a path from the inlet connector to the outlet connector of the first through fifth aspects of the invention, and compares a pressure inside the fluid passage detected by the pressure detector with a first predetermined pressure which is set to be smaller than a liquid supply pressure and higher than the atmospheric pressure, when the pressure inside the fluid passage is lower, the controller outputs a signal indicating a pressure drop such as an abnormality call request or an inquiry response to the external device via the communicating portion.
By comparing a pressure inside the fluid passage detected by the pressure detector with a first predetermined pressure which is set to be smaller than a liquid supply pressure and higher than the atmospheric pressure, when the pressure inside the fluid passage is lower, it is judged that the inlet connector and the outlet connector are disconnected and the controller outputs a pressure drop abnormality call request or an inquiry response indicating this situation to the external device via the communicating portion, so that use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be detected and safety can be increased while unauthorized use is prevented.
When the flow is measured by the separately provided flow measuring unit while the cutoff valve driving device is in a closed state, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be judged, however, when the flow cannot be measured by the separately provided flow measuring unit, for example, in case that the separately provided flow measuring unit is also removed at the same time, by comparing a pressure inside the fluid passage detected by the pressure detector with a first predetermined pressure which is set to be smaller than a liquid supply pressure and higher than the atmospheric pressure, when the pressure inside the fluid passage is lower, use with the fluid cutoff device removed can be reliably detected.
A seventh aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device, wherein, specifically, when the controller of the sixth aspect of the invention receives a return command after remote cutting-off and drives the cutoff valve driving device to return, in a case where a pressure inside the fluid passage detected by the pressure detector does not reach a second predetermined pressure corresponding to a gas supply pressure in a predetermined time, the controller makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff driving, and outputs an abnormality call request or an inquiry response to the external device via the communicating portion.
When the controller receives a return command after remote cutting-off and drives the cutoff valve driving device to return, in a case where a pressure inside the fluid passage detected by the pressure detector does not reach a second predetermined pressure corresponding to a fluid supply pressure in a predetermined time, it is judged that a return operation after the remote cutting-off was performed while the faucet of the equipment was opened, the controller makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff driving to avoid the risk of fluid leak, and outputs an abnormality call request or an inquiry response to the external device via the communicating portion, and therefore, safety of return after the remote cutting-off can be increased.
An eighth aspect of the invention provides the fluid cutoff device, specifically, in the first through seventh aspects of the invention, further including a dummy passage which is connectable to the piping and has the same height as that of the fluid passage. With this configuration, construction works such as adjustment of the height of the piping connector on one side of the piping in consideration of the height of the fluid passage of the fluid cutoff device and insertion and attachment of piping separately prepared corresponding to the height of the fluid cutoff device between the flow measuring unit and the piping can be omitted. Therefore, the construction efficiency can be improved in comparison with the fluid cutoff device which does not have the dummy passage.
A ninth aspect of the invention provides a gas meter with a fluid cutoff device, including: a flow measuring unit which measures an amount of gas usage; and the fluid cutoff device which is provided separately from the flow measuring unit, and is connected to the flow measuring unit, wherein the fluid cutoff device including: an inlet connector and an outlet connector removably connectable to a piping; a fluid passage from the inlet connector to the outlet connector; a valve seat which forms a shutoff portion in the fluid passage; a valve body which is disposed inside the fluid passage and which opens and closes the valve seat; a cutoff valve driving device which electrically drives the valve body and has a conducting portion disposed outside the fluid passage; a controller which makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving; and a battery which supplies electric power to the cutoff valve driving device via the controller, and when the controller receives a cutoff/return command, the controller makes the cutoff valve driving device perform an operation for cutoff/return driving.
The fluid cutoff device of the present invention can add a fluid cutting-off management function for remote cutting-off and return, etc., to an existing flow measuring unit by removably attaching the fluid cutoff device to a piping, and by enabling bidirectional communications by a communicating portion, an acceptance state of a remote operation from an external device is transmitted to the external device, and reliability and safety can be increased, and further, by detecting use with the fluid cutoff device removed, safety can be further increased while unauthorized use is prevented.
Further, to the existing flow measuring unit, a function for collecting an amount of fluid usage measured by the flow measuring unit by a remote operation and a fluid cutting-off management function for cutting-off and return, etc., can be added.